A brain tumour patient has recalled the "alarming" moment he realised something was wrong with his health.

Jack Chambers, a researcher on television quiz show QI, was diagnosed with a tumour following a seizure in November.

The 30-year-old was a keen footballer player, known as one of the youngest and fittest players on his team before the hidden cancer suddenly manifested itself.

“It started with me making an involuntary noise,” Jack recalls. “I turned to say to my wife Tove ‘that was funny’ but all that came out were more involuntary noises — then I blacked out.

“The next thing I knew there were paramedics in our room asking what month it was but I couldn’t answer, which was alarming.”

Hospital scans revealed a tumour and he had to have surgery six weeks later, and returned to his job at the BBC three weeks after that.

Before his seizure, Jack was a player for Hackney’s Mabley Babies FC - and now fellow club members are organising a charity tournament in aid of Brain Tumour Research and the RCN Foundation’s public awareness campaign.

It will mark his return to the pitch - and is probably the “best medicine” to help Jack get better.

Hackney Gazette: Mabley Babies FCMabley Babies FC (Image: Mabeley Babies FC)

“My recovery has been pretty rapid,” he said. “I couldn’t string sentences together when it happened. Having the tumour taken out affected my right side but thankfully things were back to normal in a week or two.”

Jack experienced “sloshing” in the head after his surgery and heard a ticking noise when lying down.

These were caused by air in the spaces left by the tumour being removed. But they stopped when the spaces filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

“I was really touched when my friends told me about the tournament,” Jack added. “I won’t be at full fitness but am planning to take part.”

The tournament, at Haggerston School in Weymouth Terrace on March 23, has been arranged by Michael Morgan, a 32-year-old architectural designer from Dalston, and Callum Scott, a 35-year-old agricultural consultant from Bethnal Green.

March 23 was the date they chose with Jack’s recovery in mind as his “grand return to football”.

Callum explained: “We all just felt like we wanted to do something. Football is secondary — we’re all friends who simply enjoy coming together for a kickabout once or twice a week. It’s not competitive football.

“Jack happens to be one of the more youthful and better players, which is why his illness came as such a shock.

Hackney Gazette: Jack is one of the youngest and fittest members of his teamJack is one of the youngest and fittest members of his team (Image: Chambers family)

“He’s definitely the fittest in the group, winning the ‘fitness award’ every year at the Christmas party.

“Knowing this had happened to him gave us all a cold shudder. We now know tumours can strike anyone, regardless of how fit and healthy they are.” 

Axis Europe, the construction company in Stratford that Callum works for, has given £800 to the fundraiser and promised another £1,000 to match donations from well wishers to pay for a day’s research.

Brain Tumour Research charity’s Charlie Allsebrook said: “Jack’s story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any time. They kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer — yet just one per cent of the national spend on research has been allocated to brain tumours since 2002. We’re determined to change that.”

The charity is calling for a national annual spend of £35 million to improve tumour survival rates in line with other cancers such as leukaemia.

The tournament will start at 2pm. Two games run simultaneously in a four-team round robin tournament, with players paying £10 and spectators charged £5.

Visit https://www.justgiving.com/team/jacksfootballtournament to donate.